Piano player



Patented Aug. 1K7,y k1926.

UNITED STATES CARL E. BROWN, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

PIANO PLAYER.

Application lcd October 11,` 1923. Serial No. 667,813.

My invention relates to devices employed in connection with electro-magnetically operated pianos for imparting an operating blow to the piano mechanism, and for varying the tonal quality of the blow imparted.

In the device shown I have confined myself to loud and soft adjustment without reference to intermediate adjustment, and it will be understood that I contemplate the use of my invention for imparting all degrecs of tonal qualit to blows struck upon the lkey levers or ot er hammer operating parts of player pianos. f

yIt shouldvbe noted also, that while my invention is particularly applicable t0 electro-magnetically operated player pianos, that ity has a wider applicationto any player piano or expression' device.

e operation of an electro-magnet is such that the nearer the' armature gets to the magnet, the stronger the pull thereon. Thus in my structure wherein I employ electromagnets to operate the piano7 I particularly take this featureinto consideration. One of my objects is to mechanically oppose the action of the armature of an electromagnet in such a way that the opposition becomes stronger as the armature approaches its seat. Another object ofkmy invention is to control the expression changing device electro-magnetically, and to that end to previde a mechanism which does not require any appreciable power to operate it. Another object of my invention is to provide a mechanical expression changing device which is simple in construction and can be applied to individual note striking devices, or to the entire key board operating mechanism, as desired.

The above objects and other advantages to be noted, I accomplish by that certain'` construction and arrangements of parts to be hereinafter more specifically pointed out and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of an individual key striking device for electro-magnetically operated pianos, s howing the essentials of my invention. f Figure 2 1s a bottom plan view of a portion of the structure showing the connection of the spring and the guard platey with relation to the striker rod.

I have indicated a piano key at 1, andr have shown my mechanism as acting en this operating magnet.

key. It should be understood that where the player mechanism is built into the piano, that some other member than the forward or exposed portion of the piano key will be directly acted upon.

I have shown a sketch ot a simplified form of tracker mechanism and stencil roll in orderto make a clear disclosure of the method of operation of my device although these elements do not concern the present invention.

I have shown a magnet 2, which has an armature 3, connected to the note striking linger 4,*by a rod 5. The rod has an adjustable nut 6 at its end where it protrudes through finger 4, whereby the pulling down of the armature toward the magnet will exert a Apull upon the finger, causing it to strike the key. The finger is pivoted at (ia on the frame or mounting portion 7 of the mechanism, and has an adjustable contact screw 8 therein. The armature may be faced with rubber as at stroke, eliminate noise and cut down any residual magnetism drag.

vMounted on the portion 9 of the machine lframe, isa spring 10, which preferably is shaped as shown, the essential being that in this form of device the spring be a leaf spring. The rod 5 passes through a hole l()c in the spring 10. The free end of the spring 10 contacts with the adjustable screw 8,A

thereby tending to `force the finger fl upwardly and thus allowing the piano key to assume its normal position, in opposition to the movement of the armature 3 of the The spring thus acts to free the key after each blow, and also to lift the armatureof the magnet away therefrom, holding the parts ready for successive operations. v

The action of the spring is to oppose the pull of the armature more and more strongly as the armature approaches its fully seated position. This as has been pointed out, corresponds to the action of the armature itself, so that while providing a sure return of the parts to normal vposition after each operation, there will not be enough interference with the movement initiated by the electro-magnet at its inception, to result in a failure of a playin@r stroke.

In order to effect vtlie change of tonal quality of the blow of the playing finger" on CTI the key, I provide means for changing the eii'ective length of the leaf spring so that by making it shorter, l am able to increase the resistance to the force opposing the magnet.

To this end i have shown the spring as being shaped with a portion 10, which is secured to the trame and then slant-s upwardly, the spring beine` then 'bent into a line ot fold at 10b. The electro-magnet 11 is provided having an armature 12, the rod 13` of which passes through a hole 13h of larger diameter than rod in the vtrame part 9, as a support and is pivotally connected to aA lever 13. The lever 13a ma)v be pivoted on a rod 14, and have also a connecting rod 15, eX- tending to another electro-magnet armature 15, or to a spring.

I mount over the spring portion 10 a guard plate 16, which extends along the portion 1()n ot the spring to the bend at 10. rlhe ear 1Ga on this plate 16 maybe providedA to act as a side guide for the Finger 4 andv the rod passes through a hole 16" in this plate.

l have shown a sketch of a tracker mechanism 16 in which the stencilled roll 1T passes over the Contact points 18 and 19 which connect with the magnets 11 and 11a through which control of the lever 13EL is effected. The note playing magnet 2 is shown as being controlledy trom the contact point The contact points Q1 and QQ represent points for other notes on the key board. It is ot course only a diagrammatic drawing ot a tracker mechanism as a plurality of note Contact point-s would be used in the actual construction of such a device. Contact is made through the arm 23 on which is attached the contact fingers, which complete the circuit when the stencilled apertures Q5 expose the contact points.

As so constructed, the energizing of the circuit through magnet 11', will pull the lever 13L to the position shown in the drawings, of touching the spring at h, in whichv way the effective length of' the spring 10 is changed, so that when the magnet 2 is energized, and a pull applied to the striking linger, this pull will be opposed by the end only of the spring 10 since the portion 1()a cannot bulge upwardly due to the gnard plate 1t. 'l' he energizing ot a magnet whose armature is connected to the connecting rod will result in the lever 13Z1 being pulled in a position entirely out of the way of the spring 10. llvhen the lever is so positioned, the spring will give the less resistance to the movement ot the armature 3, than in the instance where a portion ot its movement is prevented by the combination of the guard plate 1G and said lever.

rIhe lever 13a instead of being a relatively narrow bar. could be a plate extending aleng beneath a series of springs 10, one spring for each key striking finger. The

shifting oi' the plate would then change the spring opposition, for all the key lingers at one time, and using a limited number ot magnets 11.

As stated l have not attempted to show mechanism tor effecting the change of length of the. magnet opposing springs, in more than two positions. However, l wish to cover the use of a device which will effect the spring length iny any number of positions, more than one.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A device of the character described, coniprising a member for imparting a blow to a piano action, means for operating the member, aA spring connected to oppose thel operating direction of said blow, and means for changing the effective length of said spring during t-he operation ol the piano, thereby changing the force of the blow.

A device of the character described, comprising a member for imparting a. blow tol a piano action, means for operating the said member, a spring connected t0 oppose the operating direction of said blow, and an electro-magnetically controlled means for changing the elifective' length of said spring during the operation ot the piano, thereby changing the Ylorce of the blow.

3. A device of the character described', comprising a member for imparting a blow to a piano action, an electro-magnetic means Vfor operating the same member, a spring connected to oppose the operating directionv of said blow, and an electro-magnetically controlled means for changing the effective length oi" said spring during the operation ci the piano, thereby changing the force oli the blow.

et. In combination a pivotally mounted striking linger for a key lever oit a piano, an electroanagnet having connection with the same for moving it to impart a blow to the key lever, a leaf spring engaging the linger, and opposing its striking motion, and a member movable to posit-ion to engage said spring between its points of mounting and of lever engagement, thereby changing its eiiective length', as opposing the torce otl said electro-magnet.

5. A device ot the character described, comprising a member for imparting a blow to a piano action, means t'or operating the member, a leaf spring mount-ed so as to engage the said member, and a lever electiomagnetically controlled, and adapted to take a position of engagement with the said leaf spring between its attachment point and its engagement point with the said member, tor the purpose described.

(i. A device ot the character described, comprising a` member i'ior imparting a blow to a piano action, means for operating the member, a leaf spring having an intermediato line of partial bend, and engaging the said member at one end, and a fixed portion of the device at another, a guard lyingfalong the spring from its fixed mounting to a point adjacent the line of bend, and a lever controllable for momentary movement` to po sitions adjacentthe spring at the line of bend opposite the end of the guard plate, and to positions out of opposition to the spring movement, said spring being so arranged as to oppoee motions of the member in imparting its blow to the piano action.

CAR-L E. BROWN. 

